Dentsply Sirona Offers the Complete Imaging Solution for Every Practice

With a largely insurance-based, high-volume practice, Barbra Shea Perkins, DMD, enjoys providing a wide range of patient care. Because she performs a great deal of surgery, her CEREC mentor, Jeremy Bewley, suggested that she look into expanding her implantology services with CBCT and guided surgery. “So we went to the CEREC 30 event in Las Vegas to look at Dentsply Sirona’s ORTHOPHOS SL 3D and the CEREC system,” says Perkins, who has a private practice in Newburgh, Indiana. “Since then, using the systems together has made our implant procedures more predictable, affordable, and reliable for our patients. We can be confident that the implants are placed in the correct positions for a good final restoration.”

Her 3D imaging, implant planning software, and CEREC data provide Perkins with the precision she seeks in achieving a successful final restoration.

On the basis of the approved implant plan, implementation with the appropriate surgical guide follows. The digital information is uploaded to SICAT, which generates a surgical guide specific to the patient. The guide includes a milled sleeve that controls the position, depth, and angle of drilling and implant placement.

With all this integrated information, there are no surprises. This process allows clinicians to virtually place the implants on a 3D representation of the patient, placing that implant ideally where it needs to be for the final restoration, and to examine the bone to determine that sufficient bone volume and density are available at that site to place the ideal diameter of implant and possible provisional prosthesis.

“Since we started with this technology, it has been an amazing experience,” Perkins says.

She explains that there was only a small amount of time involved in planning the implants, “but we are confident in the digital 3D implant process—we know that the implant is being placed correctly. Our efficiency is improved, because we don’t have problems or failures. I can give the patient a product that I am confident in.”

As for the CBCT, Perkins explains that while some learning was involved initially, the practice was able to utilize continuing education and mentoring from Dentsply Sirona to help them take advantage of everything the technology and software has to offer. “I admit, I was a skeptic about it at first,” she says. “But now I can say, yes, it does pay for itself.”

For example, Perkins recalls a younger man who had lost tooth No. 12. “He was upset at first,” she explains, “but we were able to educate him about his implant options. We took him through the complete workflow and ordered a surgical guide. In his case, the implant procedure went very smoothly.” The implant appointment probably took 10 to 15 minutes, and then he returned for a retained crown she designed on the CEREC. “The next day we placed the crown, and he was thrilled. When patients hear implant, they don’t know what to think. Now this patient wants 2 more implants, and his brother and his boss are coming into the practice.”

With this technology, her practice has an ability that not a lot of dental providers have yet, Perkins explains. “We are bringing a better product to our patients—and they are definitely happier with something that is different, new, and exciting.”